Sean Raggett had made just a single League One start for Pompey this season as we entered November.
But summer signing Regan Poole then suffered a serious knee injury in the FA Cup loss at Chesterfield.
He has not missed a minute since, opening the scoring in last Saturday’s 3-0 win at Northampton that saw the Blues return to the top of the table.
And Raggett – who has now featured 213 times since arriving in 2019 – is delighted to have a key role again.
The defender said: “It’s nice to come back into the side and get a rhythm going, having not played as much in the league this season.
“I’ve had a lot of games since arriving here and it was the first time I’d had a significant spell out of the team, so of course it’s tough.
"Every team will have a lot of players in the same situation because only 11 guys can start – you just have to react well to that."
“But I kept myself in good shape and was training hard, so I’d be ready to take the chance when it came.
“You don’t know when it’s going to arise and unfortunately Regan suffered a bad injury, which you can’t predict.
“Every team will have a lot of players in the same situation because only 11 guys can start – you just have to react well to that.”
Raggett will be trying to help Pompey remain at the summit when they host Bolton in Monday night’s televised contest.
He said: “It’s first against second in the league, so of course it’s a big game, but it’s also not the be all and end all.
“There’s still a long season ahead of us, although a win on Monday will obviously mean a lot to both teams.
“They’re a top side and we’re playing with a lot of belief at the moment, so it should be a good match.”